The Farr Side: Early favorites for ‘Big Brother’ 20

David T. Farr More Content Now

Thursday

Jul 12, 2018 at 11:11 AMJul 12, 2018 at 11:11 AM

Summer’s best guilty pleasure is back. “Big Brother” has returned to give summer TV dwellers something to sink our teeth into. I’ve been a fan of this show since it first aired 20 seasons ago. That’s right, I said 20th season. CBS has had a clever way of keeping the show twisted for our viewing pleasure. We have to expect the unexpected when it comes to “Big Brother.” I say that every new season, but it’s still true. You can’t bond with the houseguests the first week. We are just learning who they are and deciding if we think they have what it takes to be the last house guest.

This season’s cast of 16 is no different. I didn’t instantly bond with anyone right away. If we’re going by first impressions, I wasn’t too impressed.

I appreciate great game play, but also find sincerity quite honorable. I believe it is possible to possess both traits.

What makes this show so amazing for me is the social aspect. It’s perhaps one of the greatest social experiments to air on TV. People from all walks of life come into the “BB” house, live together, play together, communicate and often develop bonds stronger than even those with their families. Being cooped up in a house 24/7 for 99 days forges unique opportunities. Houseguests often talk in a greater depth with one another than they might with people they’ve known their entire life. I’m fascinated by that.

It was obvious to me who would be evicted first. Every season, there seems to be “one guy” who seems a little out of place. This time, it was Steve Arienta. He seemed nice, despite awkward attempts to play in the challenges. The guy had zero balance.

Sam Bledsoe and Arienta were the first two nominees on the block for eviction. I wasn’t partial to either one, but Bledsoe began to grow on me. She was the first houseguest to have to play the game as a robot. Her voice annoyed me at first. It sounded like a watered down version of Dolly Parton. I half-expected her to break into Parton’s “Coat Of Many Colors,” but the Virginian welder soon won me over. Apparently so did other Americans, who voted her an “app” that gives her the ability to come back into the house if evicted in the first four weeks.

My favorites at this point are Bledsoe, Tyler, JC, Faysal, and Rockstar. Swaggy C has got to go. He’s a little too stuck on himself while also playing the game too hard and too fast.

Who is your fave?

— David T. Farr can be reached at farrboy@hotmail.com.

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